Taste is But a Blessing and a Curse
by Kara Jayne
Summary: When the Jericho Crew plan on having a surprise party for their human companions, Connor learns that his beloved has a major disadvantage in the kitchen...
1. Chapter 1

_**Taste Is But a Blessing and a Curse**_

Markus' description of Carl's mansion matched nothing to the elegance it held. A fascinating story, it was, where he originated from and where he lived, but this place was simply beautiful. Connor couldn't imagine the memories it must bring being here again, but it was where they'd insisted on going. The Jericho crew was gracious enough to suggest a party for the humans that'd helped and supported them after such a long battle for freedom. If it wasn't for them, there wouldn't hope in man-kind in their hearts, but Hank, Rose, Adam, and Carl meant more to them than they realized.

Admiring the large giraffe, the dainty elephant figurines upon glass shelves, and large paintings was all fun and dandy, really it was. Even both the chess set and the piano was simply breath taking. Carl was a sucker for style, a true artist at heart. But Conner wants to _help_ , not sit. Markus, Simon, Josh and North are huddled in the fairly large kitchen, zooming back and forth while Connor's sitting here doing nothing…

Well, not exactly nothing, per say.

They have it in their minds that he's going to taste test everything they create. Ever since going deviant, the ability to test evidence samples in real time has also shifted into being able to taste food, too. He curiously found out when he'd tested Hank's food – thoughtful of his mentor's health- and since then even breathlessly – involuntarily- told North upon their first kiss.

 _Simply amazing, your taste of honey and vanilla is almost as mesmerizing as looking into your eyes…_

It was such a beautiful moment, but _fuck_ , he shouldn't have told her that. Now he's being forced into serving as the lazy guinea pig who has to judge their dishes. He can't eat large amounts per say, but he can tell them if it's relatively desirable (if his taste preferences are aligned with their human companions likings too, that is. It's so funny how humans like different foods).

"CONNOR!"

With a heavy sigh, Connor knows exactly what that means… it's time to break the hopefully good news that they did well. He just prays his facial expressions don't give away any disappointment – because unlike him, they don't know what certain ingredients contribute… they only know recipes. _They should have let him cook like he'd suggested…_

"Alright," he says, half in fear, half giving in to whatever experiment he's been suckered into. "What do you want me to try?"

Josh perks up with proud smile. "I present to you, cheddar bacon dip and home-made oven toasted chips." He carefully plucks a chip from a still-warm baking sheet, dips it gently into the odd dip, and hands it forward towards Connor to accept. It's not the same color cheddar he's used to seeing Hank consume, not so orange, but not exactly void of color, either.

Connor takes it in his hand, carefully places it in his mouth, and chews just enough to absorb the taste. It's…. surprisingly delicious, actually! Exquisite, even! Josh was a teacher in his past life, right? If culinary school wasn't his focus, then he must have really used his research skills to figure this out. Perhaps this "taste testing" may not be so bad after all.

"Perfect… just _absolutely perfect_ … And the chips are baked just right. Hank will _love_ this." Hopefully the other humans will, too.

Josh smiles and his eyes fill with pride. "Thanks! I'm glad it turned out well."

Before Connor can respond, Markus is already pushing him back out of the kitchen. Their leader insists that there's' already too many cooks in the kitchen – which Connor supposes he understands, he wouldn't want more than two people sitting at his desk at the DPD – so Connor exits immediately without question. If Josh can come up with something that tasty, the others probably have wonderful things waiting, too.

Since then Josh has managed another equally stunning meal: a _savory_ potato salad. Connor's even more revved up when Simon and Markus present theirs, too, but by then, Josh had set the bar too high. Not that their food was terrible, so to say, just missing some essential elements, but thanks to Connor's cooking experiences at Hank's house, he's easily able to pinpoint what's missing – a few dashes of salt here and there, a marinade that they couldn't possibly understand if he tried to describe it… His ability to taste is both a curse and a gift, but right now it has him feeling pretty important.

The last one to shout his name, though, is North. His girl's going to really know how to put something together, he can _feel_ it. This is the one he's looked forward to the most since the first sample and he can't wait to shower her with well-thought-through words of affection. Without hesitation, he hops onto his feet again and bolts to the kitchen, where the last dish for his taste testing adventures awaits.

Connor slaps the doors open a little too eagerly, earning an alerted stare from the four. Realizing the impression he's made, he quickly collects himself in a calm manner again, hands tugging lightly at the bottom of his brown, leather jacket. (He'd decided gray just didn't suit him anymore, he wanted to fit in better, feel more human).

North's face lights up in his presence and her smile softens as he approaches her. "I took my time on this," she states, wearing an expression of pride.

Cake, Connor recognizes it as, a fairly cylindrical and high-risen sweet treat. He's never baked one for Hank, only gone grocery shopping with him enough to know one when he sees one. Connor's not sure what to think of hers, though, it's not the same as the ones in the store. He shouldn't expect it to be the same and that's okay, but hers isn't exactly…. _smooth,_ not like the kind he's familiar with. The icing is slightly angled higher on one side, almost uneven enough with rugged strokes that it could rival one of Carl's abstract paintings. It's like the cake is a battle and the spatula is her gun.

"I baked a miniature cake, too, just for you to try!" North slides forward a paper plate with a smaller version.

He pulls the paper plate closer to him and accepts the fork she so merrily hands him. "Thanks, Hun," Connor answers with a pleasant smile rising on his lips as he cuts into it for a small bite. Judging by the deep brown color of the icing and the fluffy baked good inside, it's bound to be chocolate, and that's a flavor he's familiar with, a flavor he _likes_. That makes this even better.

Putting it in his mouth is an entirely different story, though.

This isn't chocolate…. It's sour, and tart, and… oh God, is this a chunk of uncooked flour he's sensing now? It's dry, _too_ dry. He almost spits it back out, but finds enough restraint in time just as his eyes meet hers.

"Well?" she inquires with a hopeful gleam.

When Connor keeps her gaze a little too long, her eyes plead for approval. Time stops and he's at a loss for words. If he doesn't say something soon, she's going to suspect something.

But he can't say no to North, he can't tell her it tastes awful – this is what he'd feed to his enemies just out of spite. And to make matters worse, it's already too late, she's baked _and_ iced the entire thing, used all the ingredients supplied. It's going to take buying more supplies and remaking it entirely from the very beginning to fix this. Yet if he utters any of those words aloud, she's going to _murder_ him…

Instead, he chooses for the wiser and hesitantly forces a smile, trying not to tear up from how awful it is to eat this disastrous "chocolate" pastry… _if_ it can be called that.

"It's great, babe!" Connor barely manages with near impossible patience, nearly choking and just waiting for the food to dissolve. "It really compliments the other dishes!"

"A-are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, just… ate too fast. Eating and talking at the same time doesn't work too well."

"Oh… okay. Well, slow down then."

Connor sighs in relief. "If you don't mind, I think I'll take my time and enjoy the rest of this in the living room while you guys finish up." He offers North a small kiss on the cheek as she leans up to accept it, smiling in satisfaction of her... not-so-delicious-dessert.

Just as he's almost out of the door, though, he can hear her boasting more, her competitive nature stronger than ever. " _Suck it_ , gentleman, because this'll be the last thing our friends remember about this meal!"

Amber eyes widen in fear. _Fuck_ … What about the humans? Hank? Rose? Adam? _Carl_?! She's going to be the death of them, whether by this… this _cake_ , or her reaction when they reveal the truth… then he's going to be next for lying to her! He's even dead if she finds this single serving dish unfinished and in the trash. Connor sits back on the couch, wiping away tears as he forces himself to finish the small piece of brown mystery. It feels like forever just waiting for it to dissolve, and even then, the taste of salt lingers on his tongue, unforgiving of her claimed "masterpiece". He wishes desperately that his deviancy had never given him this ability.

It's not until later that night, when everyone is back in their respective homes that he devises a plan that will save everyone's lives. Connor leaves the house for a little, claims that he has an emergency case to tend to. His line of work is one thing that North holds great respect for. She fears his safety, but he knows she loves it when he comes back from a successful pursuit, adding another story into their book on why he's so brave.

In this case, bravery means begging Kara to bake a cake that looks exactly like North's, but edible. She'd been held up with previous plans when the Jericho crew gathered. Her duties as a mother to Alice has her quite busy, but it's something she loves.

Thankfully, she accepts his desperate request, amused by his recap of sour and dry horror stories… and pulls it off perfectly! It actually tastes like chocolate, really, really good chocolate! Connor can't even tell a single difference in the pattern of the icing. It's _so damn good_ , she has to swat his hand away from pawing at the icing for another taste. Even better, though, they just may all live to see another day thanks to Kara. He prays North never insists on baking for them again.


	2. Taste is But Carefree and Truthful

For once, North's happy about visiting a human. Never has she thought she'd use that word, happy, regarding humanity, but this brief moment in time has given her a chance to befriend the idea rather than shun it. Connor insists on going with her, of course. He acts like he's her bodyguard most of the time, even though he knows she can defend herself well enough. But it makes him happy. In a sense, it makes her happy to have him there.

North's newfound friend, Jenny, has a large move to make from one house to another, so it's North's pleasure to help her unpack, especially since Jenny has a freshly sprained wrist, and on her dominant hand at worse. Plus, androids don't tire out so easily, so her and Connor's presence will help to get plenty done. For now, Jenny needs to stick to the small stuff and let her wrist heal.

"So, welcome to my humble abode… my _bare_ humble abode. Believe me, when I can actually finish, it won't look near as roomy anymore, so enjoy the space while you can!" There are tape-sealed boxes sitting everywhere. It's a lot of work, but nothing that they can't handle. None of the drawers have been filled yet, there's a large heaping pile of laundry in the corner, and tables still lack any decorations atop.

"Looks nice, gal, I'm sure it'll look great!" North comments, a faint smile on her face as she admires the unique structure.

Suddenly, her human companion's eyes light up. "It even comes with a really awesome back porch! Come, come!" Jenny insistently waves them over, taking a hold of North's wrist.

"O-oh, okay," North responds as she's tugged out the front door and around to the back. Connor tags along behind them, observing the neighborhood around. Again, acting like a bodyguard. That's something she'll never be able to break him of, but maybe that's a good thing. She likes how he's always so aware, it makes him reliable.

They wind around slightly downhill along a white picket fence, trot up a small set of stairs just high enough to raise the large porch before them to make room for a small pool. It's strange how the house sits on a hill, but it's all been built creatively to stay level. The asymmetry of it is very charming, though, and different… something North ponders looking for next.

"Sorry for the scenic route," Jenny continues, "Just found out that the back door is stuck now, but we're going to have that fixed soon! Then I could invite you guys over for a pool party!"

"Girl, you got it made. It's so _striking_ , and it just… it works."

Jenny kneels down to brush a few leaves that are snagged on her pants. When she stands back up, a small packet suddenly drops from Jenny's pocket. All eyes fall to the ground, where it lies. The packet looks somewhat similar to a few doses of red ice… but it's blue instead.

Connor's neutral voice expresses it all, like the true policeman he is. "Blue ice." His gaze rises back to Jenny, who frets and fidgets, her fingers interlace in unease and she's seemingly afraid to pick it back up, unable to look him back in the eyes. "You know that stuff hasn't been declared legal yet."

With a shaky sigh, she tries explaining herself. "I know, _I know_ , but I swear, I only used it to calm down! It relaxes my anxiety. I promise, I'm going to get a prescription soon…" Jenny knows Connor is a detective, he could easily arrest her right where they stand. She probably also knows because he's not in uniform, he can't fully act in duty, only report her at most. Still, the look in his eyes is all it takes to keep her panicking.

"Don't worry about it," Connor assures calmly, the packet of ice in hand. "If someone else catches you, I won't be able to stop them, though, so just… be careful, okay?" He sends a ghost of a smile towards her, but his gaze remain firm in his resolve. He doesn't have to say anything for her to know she really has to get some documentation for approval.

A voice erupts from the yard next door. "Nice to meet the new neighbor, finally," it rings, a warm welcome filling the air. As said guest makes their way closer, Connor's eyes narrow in on them. In irony at its purest, Jenny's neighbor turns out to be Tina Chen, accompanied by her dog, Max.

"Tina?" he asks in confirmation.

"Connor?! You know it, the one and only! Odd to see you here." Tina flashes a proud smile, waves a hand from the distance that slowly, but surely, shortens between them.

His familiarity with the woman catches North's attention, and she turns to see a mild hint of panic in his eyes, too. That's when she hears his voice in her head.

" _Tina Chen. She's an associate of mine at the DPD, and that dog's been trained to find substances!_ "

Trained to find substances? Like the blue ice that just fell out of her friend's pocket?

" _If that dog sniffs it out, your friend's done for!_ "

As she continues to listen to his stern words, he quickly turns and pops the blue ice into his own mouth, swallowing it while Tina's distracted by the dog's sudden stop mid-way across the yard. He tries his best to hide the cringe that twists his lips slightly as it goes down, but North's no fool.

Connor was right to grab it so quickly. Max's pause indicated he picked up the scent of something briefly, but once the ice is completely down, Max perks back up and carries on a merry cheer again, and drags Tina their way without a clue of what had just dropped on the ground. It seems Connor can feel North's continuing fret, though, so he reassures her the best way he can without blowing their cover. His voice rings in her head alone.

" _Don't worry, ice like this isn't made to absorb into android bodies for effect. I'm a walking laboratory made to take samples, done this several times before. If anything, it'll just absorb away into my waste components, where it can't be detected by the canine. This way, your friend is safe_."

North sighs in relief. _Thank God_. Sometimes he really scares her, but he always knows what he's doing, and always seems to deduce the best solution quicker than any android she's met. Still, watching him consume it still feels so odd. Luckily, the exchange afterwards goes well, the dog smells nothing of her friend's legal-illegal anxiety relief, and they're able to move on to unpacking boxes.

In fact, it's going more than well. With two androids working their best in endless energy compared to their human companion, it's easy to knock out half the boxes, especially the heavy ones, in little to no time. They both kneel down to lift a larger piece of furniture, though, each raising one end at the same time. Just as she's fully stood up again, Connor falters, nearly dropping the wooden piece only to catch it just in time to stop from scratching the nice, polished floor.

North's eyes immediately turn to him and she sets her end down, as well. "You okay, there, Connor?"

"Yeah… just a momentary glitch." When her worried gaze doesn't leave, he confirms with a knowing smile and short nod, "I'm okay, North." Come to think of it, Connor IS a prototype, so as "perfect" as he may seem, it only makes sense he'd display a minor slip up like this. They pick up each end again, and make way towards the living room, where said human friend specifies to put it.

North gets stopped short when Connor pauses in an unusual manner just before reaching their destination. She flits her eyes back at him, heavy table still in both their hands, and eyebrows furrowed in confusion as to why he's stopped in the middle of the entrance for no reason. He seems… lost, although she can't tell for sure that's what it is, as his expression has gone semi-blank.

"Where are we going again?"

She thought they'd already been told, at least she certainly remembers, but the strangest confusion comes over his expression. Maybe he hadn't been paying attention? It must be from that glitch earlier, so she reminds him, "It goes over there, in the center of the living room." Perhaps it's time to get his diagnostics checked, but that'll have to wait til they get back to Jericho.

"Oh…. Oh, yeah…" He comes back to life again, directing his attention back at her, and they gently set the table down where Jenny's asked. It barely slips out of his grip two inches from the floor, and the thud from his side is certainly more alarming than the gentle tap from hers.

"Sorry, I uh…"

It's _definitely_ time for him to get looked at. "Maybe you should sit down, Connor. You've been working a lot lately. I told you that you didn't have to help if you didn't want to."

"No! No… I um… yeah, I'm going to sit down for a little bit." Connor makes his way around and sits on the couch. Its new, brown leather is so soft it can be compared to velvet, so it's a welcoming invitation.

North decides she can open a few more boxes before joining him, and it turns out the next few are kitchen materials. There are a few food items already transferred from the old house, mainly to preserve the cold items. There's also a half-eaten chocolate cake on the counter, a tray of store-bought cookies, and a bag of chips folded closed. "Moving snacks, huh?"

Jenny laughs a little. "Oh yeah, screw cooking right now. I'd rather get this done now and celebrate with something good later." In the next few minutes, she's directing North on where the plates, bowls and utensils should go. North knows better than to try and arrange it herself, because humans are strange in how they want things. What's convenient for one just isn't as convenient for another. It's all about individual preferences, and maybe a hint of visual appeal.

Connor's awfully quiet as they work through the kitchenware, though. Typical him would stand back up and insist on helping anyway, but he hasn't let out a single word. North turns back towards the living room, where she last left him, and he's…. oddly fascinated. His hand grazes lightly back and forth on the couch's material and his head tilts in admiration.

"This…. this couch….. is just _so soft_ …" And so is his tone.

"Uh, yeah? I thought we already established that earlier."

He lays on his side and rubs his face further into the surface, almost deep enough to make an impression into the cushion. "It's just _SO soft_ …"

Something's _definitely_ wrong. That small "glitch" from earlier is becoming a larger problem than she anticipated. North sits close to him, pulling him back to sit upright again so her body can be his post, although it's a struggle when he doesn't accommodate, trying to force himself back down face first onto the cushion, and damn, he's fucking heavy right now in his fight, too. It's like trying to pull up an iron cast with a piece of thread.

"Its so funny, I was just sitting here, then the world just started s- _pinning_." Connor's eyes rise to the ceiling, following some invisible spiral she can't see. "My eliquibr-… eliquebr…"

Based off of " _spinning_ " and his half-assed ability to speak right now, she can safely assume what he's trying to say. "Equilibrium?"

"Yeah! That… _elibriquium_ …"

Connor lets out a forced breath once his gaze falls back to Earth again. "God, it's so hot!" He removes his jacket not-so-gracefully, stuck in his own sleeve like a two year old. It takes North interrupting the fruitless, wild waving of his arms to take it off. When he's finally still enough to accept the help, it slides off with ease as he mouths a silent "Oh…"

Connor leans up against North unusually close. Sure, he's an affectionate guy when they're by themselves…. _when they're by themselves_ …. So the fact that he's suddenly right against her shoulder in a stranger's house, sitting on said stranger's couch while they're one room away and Connor's groaning "mmmm"s against her neck catches her completely off guard. If he wanted to get into this, he would have pulled her off into a more…. _private_ spot. His next words throw her off even more, though.

"I…. never noticed how good your hair smells."

Is that… is that all he was moaning and groaning about? Hair…. _HAIR_?

Connor takes in an extended whiff of her hair, closing his eyes as he almost slides down and off the couch, legs giving way like wet noodles. North manages to catch him in time, though, promptly thrusting her arm underneath his and pulling him back up. Connor's fucking heavy too, much heavier than normal. Advanced Prototype, her ass! He's equivalent to a human wasted on drugs right now. Cyberlife's pride and joy is malfunctioning to the extreme.

He's not finished admiring her hair once he's upright again. Connor raises his hand and begins to stroke his fingers through strands of red. "It's just… it's so beautiful! And red! No, it's _scarlet_..." Although it's not… the intensity of the shade of her hair is nowhere near what he's claiming to see; the hue's being intensified by something in his system.

She thinks to ask him, maybe he's functional enough to give her a clue, but _oh…_

Is he… _crying_ now? She can feel the hot tears against her neck where he lies against her. Connor's _definitely_ crying over her hair, and she's not sure what to do, she's never dealt with an android glitching out this bad. He trusts her, and here she sits, clueless and frozen about his unstable, unexpected, and unpredictable programming errors.

"Th-thanks…" North replies, leaning back just a bit to observe him for a moment. Connor's the silent mysterious one that only she and Hank know underneath the layers of duty and responsibility. He's the one that walks into Jericho with knowing pride that he's good at what he does. He's _Connor_ , calculated, logical, in tight control… not this emotional, blubbering extrovert.

Now that he's stopped tearing up over her hair now, she can think. Mood swings… slurred, dyslexic speech, loss of motor control… hot flashes… _equivalent to a human wasted on drugs_? It all suddenly clicks, the answer screaming louder in her head, something she should have put together long ago when he first slipped and dropped the table.

"Connor, are you sureyou're immune to that ice from earlier?" Connor zones out for a moment, does nothing but stare forward at the still blank off-white wall ahead of them. It takes a loud snap with her fingers in front of his face to wake him up from his newfound daze. "Connor!"

" _Here? Where?_ _Whad'ice_?" he answers with a laugh and eyes so narrowed that she questions if he can even see at all.

 _He definitely is not immune to it…_

"Damnit, Connor! How?! Why?! You said that…Forget it, it's too late now!" Although she knows he's not mentally here to answer. Still, it feels good to express the thought anyway.

Still, they're screwed…. Just absolutely _fucking_ screwed when they show up at Jericho tonight. If he doesn't get over this, she's going to have to make up a ridiculous excuse why they can't make it to the big meeting, THE big meeting. This excursion was supposed to be a short stop on the way.

Jenny finally walks into the living room after handling much of the smaller stuff her injured wrist can handle. "I think we should take a break." she suggests, her voice so kind and full of gratefulness for their efforts, despite Connor's…. setback. "I'm starved already! There are some refreshments, if you want. It's not much, but there are some cookies, bottled water, chips... I have some chocolate cake, too, if you want any, or, if you _can_ have it." She's really trying her best to offer, even though she doesn't know if they can consume it or not. Jenny's heart is as big as the world, and North knows this, so the pointless gesture is easy to forgive.

Jenny's suggestion lights up Connor's eyes in an instant. How in the hell he just suddenly jumps from dizzy and agonized to excited and ecstatic, North's not sure. The blue ice sure is working wonders on him, very terrible wonders.

"OH! CHOCOLATE CAKE! … _North didn't make it, though, did she_?" Connor asks in a sharp tone, brown eyes intently and warily narrowed. He points an accusing finger that somewhat wavers into the air towards nobody in particular, his focus drifting from one thing to another in the blink of an eye. "Cuz' last time, it was for a party and that shit tasted fuckin' awful. Had to get… uhhhhh, Kara? Yeeeeeah, Had Kara remake it before people died up in that place." He leans forward from where he sits, gaze dead set on Jenny as he not-so-whispers, " _Shhhhhh, don't tell North, though…_. was hard to sneak it in without her knowing."

North's eyes have never flown open as fast as they do now. Her own damned boyfriend is smirking as if his words carry no price, as if everything's a joke. " _EXCUSE_ me? I AM still here, ya know." She turns as slow as she can, jaw dropped in disbelief of what she just heard. Her cake was going to kill people? She put a lot of effort into it and everyone loved it! But NOW he tells her it wasn't actually hers?! That bullshit excuse he fed her about being on a secret mission was a lie?!

Her tone should have warned him, normally does on any other day, but he's still laughing in muttered half-assed breath as if she's no threat at all. "Oh! Hey! Damn, you just now figured it out?"

"Yeah, because you _just_ told me!" His _high_ self thinks this is a joke!

Connor flashes another smile. "Haaaaaaa, oh yeah. I did, didn't I?"

While North feels bad for him being in this state by complete accident, she can't stop herself from wanting to push him off where they sit. _See if I ever bake for you again_ , she thinks silently. _Or maybe I should, and force feed you!_ His roots as a detective and hunter never seemed to have any downfalls until now. The fact that he's so cunning - _when he's sober_ \- means he probably has something else up his sleeves too.

"Were fine, Jen. I don't think food would do any good right now, but thanks anyway."

Jenny flashes a gentle smile their way. "Of course!"

"Well, thanks for the invite. It was great while it lasted, but we have something to take care of." Or _someone_ , rather. She kind of wants to glare at Connor as she says this, but Jenny doesn't deserve that kind of conclusion from their visit. Connor can't help that he's in the state he is, and she doesn't want to chase Jenny away with the awkwardness that results from it, even if he did lie about her cake. "If there's anything else we can do, just let us know!"

North stands up, aiding Connor along with her. It's a struggle, but this time he actually puts in an effort. He wavers a bit in one spot, but still stands by himself nonetheless. "Fuck yeah! Let's do it again! Tonight! Now!" he shouts out enthusiastically.

 _And theeeeeeeere goes Connor's time management skills_.

"And invite er'ybody else too!" he exclaims even further, halfway raising an arm to celebrate with a sweeping motion, but it falls before he loses focus in another thought.

 _Goodbye to his privacy, too._

"In fact, I'll go ahead and call them now!" Connor raises a hand to touch his temple with full intention of alerting the rest of Jericho. Meanwhile, Jenny raises a single brow, likely in confusion as to why her guest is so prompted to invite others so quickly for a party that hasn't even been arranged yet.

North kind of wants to cry on the inside and ask fate why it chose her to deal with this. In urgency, she quickly steps closer to his side, yanks his hand down before he can even start to communicate with them (because goodness, they _don't_ need to know about this) , and wraps an arm around him in an affectionate motion, hoping it'll ease any suspicions Jenny might have about his behavior. With her as a post, he should find it easier to remain a little more stable.

"How about another day, Connor? Remember, we have somewhere to be tonight!" And they do. And she's absofuckinglutely screwed when they get there.

"Okay, fine, but i'm taking a piece of that cake with me! Hey, androids can get hungry, can't they?"

Why in the hell is Connor asking what when he's an android himself?

The thought still lights Jenny's eyes and she gladly disappears into the kitchen. North kind of wishes he hadn't said that because now she's going to have to watch him eat it, and damn, it's going to just remind her of what Connor said, which still burns her up on the inside... but a reluctant compromise for dessert is better than none at all. Connor wants it and he's not going to shut up about it until he gets it. Hell, maybe it'll even help work the ice out of his system and win brownie points back with Jenny after her boyfriend's blue ice fiasco when she's so jolly about sharing the generosity.

Jenny's just as quick to come back out, one perfectly sliced piece of double-layer chocolate cake in a container she insists North doesn't have to return. After one thank you exchanged with another, North and Connor finally manage to head to the autonomous car they rented. She guides him by hand in his slow, unbalanced stagger. His mis-steps are just mild enough that she can mask it with small notions, but more importantly, she makes sure he doesn't make some other wild decision in his stupor for Jen to witness.

Now she's really glad they picked up one of these cars, without it there would be the convenience of not being able to watch him, much less the idea of driving when he's no longer in true control of himself. As they ride away from the house, Connor opens the container, dips a finger into the icing, and licks it off with such ecstasy. Funny how he's in such a higher heaven with this one than he was with hers. That lying mother f-

-No! No… she shouldn't be thinking about right now. Markus could call at any time. Everything is riding on her when it comes to this dilemma and damn it, she's gotta think of a solution _now_.

In the meantime, he has zero concern about anything. The container that once held chocolate cake (JENNY'S chocolate cake at that) has been carelessly tossed onto the floor of the car and he's leaned against the window, cheek flat against its cold glass as his eyes roam up, down, left, right, at anything and everything that passes in their drive back to Jericho. "Do you ever wonder what the world would be like without trees? _Where would the squirrels live at_?!" And he truly contemplates this miniscule question, brows furrowed in deep thought.

It's clear that Connor's state isn't going to deflate anytime soon. His consciousness is high in the clouds - no pun intended- and his functionality is _gone_. North had hoped it would be a more temporary thing than this, but fate refuses to go her way. Markus is expecting word from them anytime now, too, and _she's_ going to have to be the one to answer for it, she's the only one that can right now. Fuck, if only she had his negotiating abilities!

That's when she hears the signal in her head…

Time stands still as she realizes who it is: Markus. Oh no. No, no no... It's too soon for this, and she doesn't know what to tell him. North drills through a few excuses as she pretends not to hear the call right away, hoping one of them will sound viable enough.

 _Connor's high, so we're not gonna make it tonight_.

Fuck, no! Honestly is the least thing she needs to use right now.

 _Connor's glitching out, so I'm taking him home._

Because technically, its true, but Jericho has a repair station readily available at anytime.

Now Markus is ringing her a second time. If she ignores this one, he'll know something is up, so North closes her eyes and answers anyway, prepared or not. Whatever happens from here on is just what happens. They'll deal with the repercussions later. No, _CONNOR_ will deal with the repercussions later.

"M-Markus, hello!"

"Hey, wondering if you're almost here. We've got a lot going on and could use your help! Connor still with you?"

"Yeah, but he's…" Here goes nothing….

A loud crash is heard in the background and North can't imagine what it was, but it must have been important, because Markus interrupts her not-very-well-thought-through response. Markus' tone rings in urgency, "Oh, hold on, I really have to take care of this! I'll just see you guys when you get here!" Just like that, he ends the call.


End file.
